Connections between a printed wiring board and external wiring have been the subject of may patents and publications, each seeking to reduce cost and facilitate interconnection. One well-known technique is the use of conductive paths, positioned in an orderly array at the edge of a dielectric surface (printed wiring board), together with an edge connector having multiple leaf-spring contacts which are aligned with the array of conductive paths. Such edge connectors, however, are relatively expensive and bulky, particularly when only a small number of connections need to be made. It is therefore desirable to improve the manner in which connections are made between printed wiring boards and external wiring.
In telecommunication technology, the use of modular plugs and jacks is widespread, so the use of modular jacks that mount onto printed wiring boards is well known. One such modular jack is disclosed in the AT&T Technologies Technical Digest - No. 74, July 1984, at pages 17-18. While such modular jacks are much smaller than edge connectors, their interaction with the printed wiring board is fixed for each particular printed wiring board layout so that wiring changes are not easily made without mounting screw-down terminals on the printed wiring board or using a different printed wiring board. Indeed, U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,505 discloses a modular jack connector in which connections between incoming telephone wires and a modular jack are made by screw-engaging connectors, screws, and washers. While this technique has received wide acceptance, improvements in both cost and ease of connection are desirable.
Insulation-displacement connectors have become an important new technique for facilitating the interconnection of wires. U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,192 discloses a connecting block construction in which insulation-displacement connectors are used to facilitate the connection between incoming telephone wires and a modular jack. This is a particularly advantageous device insofar as reliability, flexibility, cost and assembly are concerned. Unfortunately, connecting blocks only provide a convenient structure where electrical equipment can be interconnected. It is desirable to provide an arrangement that readily combines the signal processing capability of printed wiring boards with the ease of connection provided by insulation-displacement connectors.